


Nighttime's Always the Worst

by Zanya



Series: Resurgence [2]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Bickering, Depression, Eventual Relationships, Fighting, Gen, Greed/Ed, Mild Humor, Pre-Relationship, References to PTSD
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2018-05-10
Packaged: 2018-12-06 08:39:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 20,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11597028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zanya/pseuds/Zanya
Summary: The day following a nightmare always left Ed in a sour mood, and Greed riding his ass wasn't helping.





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> _Anxiety is a breath away from drowning._
> 
> This story takes place in one day total. I split it up into three parts (morning, afternoon, night) to make the editing easier since it's well over 20k. It may be easier for some people to wait until it's all posted and read it in one go.

_Black hands covered his entire body, prodding and squeezing around his limbs and neck. Ed twisted and turned, trying to pull away. He struggled for air as his throat constricted, choking and wheezing, contorting his body, but it provided him with no relief. Ed was stuck, suffocating, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. He was going to die, right here, and he could hear Truth laughing at him._

Ed woke up gasping for air and soaked in sweat. His head hurt and his breath came out in harsh, short puffs, causing smokey-like clouds to billow from his mouth through the cold morning air. The tent flaps were closed, but he could see some sunlight filtering through the cracks around them. Ed shivered, rolled over, and then slowly sat up, wrapping his arms around his legs as he tried to get some warmth back into his body. 

He brushed his hands down his sides in an attempt to get rid of the nasty, bitter feeling inside him. His dreams were getting noticeably worse the closer they got to the Promised Day. Ed knew given the magnitude of what they were planning, it wouldn't stop. Even now he could still feel the fingers on his body, violating his every thought and the sickening feelings of disgust and sadness settled in the pit of his stomach. 

This one had been about the Promised Day. He hadn't been able to defeat Father and had been forced to watch his friends and family die. Al, Winry, Granny, Mustang, Hawkeye... all of them gone. The terror in his heart had felt so real and shocking, reaching its peak when Father shoved him through the gate and let Truth have its fun with him. 

His back cracked and his knee popped when he stood up. Ed stretched out his left arm above his head before getting into a comfortable enough of a position to rub the areas around his ports. Waking up stiff was nothing new to him, and he had learned after years of fighting with it to take time each morning to loosen his joints up before starting his day. 

The sun was now shining across the trees and ground when he pulled the flap back and joined the land of the living. Ed glanced at the other tents to see if anyone else had woken up. Darius and Heinkel were already getting a fire started. Greed was nowhere to be seen, which meant he was either still asleep or had slipped out in the middle of the night and had yet to return. 

Another adventure probably. Ed had gotten used to those in the month he had spent in Greed's company. It happened a few times a week and no one said a thing about it. He knew he should probably dig for information, but chances were it was simply Greed being greedy and had nothing to do with them defeating Father. 

A chill moved up his body making his teeth chatter. The cold weather had finally settled in. On days when the sun was out, it wasn't so bad. But a day after a rainy night was hell on his body. Sighing, he flopped on the ground and put his head between his knees. Another chilly day to push through. He could do this. He could get through it and focus his thoughts on something else. It shouldn't be too hard. All he had to do was get back up, eat, and see what needed done, yet his body refused to move. 

“What the hell's got you rattled?” Greed's voice cut Ed's thoughts to a halt. “Damn, kid, you look like you were rode hard and put away wet.” 

Ed lifted his head from between his legs and turned towards Greed, scowl in place and fully prepared to tell his boss to piss off because he wasn't in the mood for bullshit first thing. Once his eyes settled on Greed the words died as quickly as they were thought up. 

Greed looked like shit. It was almost like looking into a mirror only the reflection wasn't his own. Ed ran his left hand through his hair and shivered. 

“I dunno... maybe the same thing that got under your skin.” Ed had intended his voice to hold some irritation or give some indication he was in no mood to 'talk,' but only concern came through. “Bad dream too?” he added as an afterthought. One of them had to admit what was wrong or else they'd both be here going off useless conversation in exchange. 

“Guess you could call it that... could've been a memory, not sure.” Greed looked genuinely puzzled for a moment before sitting down and leaning back against an old oak tree. 

“You think you'll get 'em all back?” He didn't know why he asked that. It was one of those questions that seemed too personal to prod into. 

“Who knows? My old man scrambled my head up pretty good." Greed shrugged as if it were no big deal. 

Ed disagreed. "Maybe they're still in there and all you gotta do is find something familiar enough to get 'em going." He wrapped his hands around his knees and rested his chin on them. "Maybe visiting some places you used to hang out at is a start. We could always go back to Dublith for a few days." 

"Why the hell would I want to go there?" Greed frowned. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something else then closed it. 

"'Cause that's where you used to have your bar before Bradley came and destroyed it all." Ed lifted his head up a bit and searched Greed's face for any indication if he had remembered that or not. "Thought it might help jog your memory." 

"Those aren't," Greed rubbed his hand across his face. "There's no need to remember that place. I gotta a good thing goin' now. Don't see any reason dredging up a past that's not mine." 

"Isn't knowing better than not knowing?" Ed wasn't sure why he was trying to help if Greed clearly wasn't interested, but it didn't seem right letting Father get away with taking Greed's memories so maybe that was why he kept pushing. "They were _your_ memories, Greed. They belonged to _you_. You gonna let the bastard get away with doing that?" 

Greed let his hands drop down to his lap and gave Ed a hard, yet curious look. “Lemmie ask you something. If you knew finding out something would make you worse off than before, would you do it?” 

Ed furrowed his brows and thought the question over. “I... I don't know. Guess it would depend on what you mean by worse off. If it was just me that'd be affected by the decision, then I'd want to know.” 

“What is with you? Why do all your decisions gotta revolve around who else’ll be affected by them?" Greed wrinkled his nose and made a face. “Don't you ever cut loose and say fuck it, I'm gonna go for it?” 

“Last time I was reckless with something, it cost me my limbs and my brother his body.” Ed looked down at the ground. He couldn't afford to take unnecessary risks with other people. He didn't fuck up often, but when he did, the outcome was always devastating. 

Greed scratched his chin. Ed could be a real drag sometimes. “C'mon, let's a take a walk. We're gonna need more firewood.” He stood up and stuffed his hands into his coat pockets. “Since those two are already busy, looks like you're it.” 

Ed got up, wincing when his right knee popped, and followed Greed, not bothering to point out that he was always 'it' when it came to Greed needing help. He didn't know why either. Darius and Heinkel complied with demands a lot better than he did. 

Maybe Greed enjoyed butting heads with him? That was the only logical explanation Ed could concoct up in his brain because he was usually the only target of Greed's teasing. Darius and Heinkel never had to put up with the crap he did. 

“So how much wood're we gonna get?” Ed jogged until he caught up to Greed and then slowed down to a walking pace. "Not sure how long you plan on stayin' and don't wanna get too much or too little of it." 

“Enough for a day, maybe two.” Greed bumped into Ed before moving away far enough to give them both space. “This place is quiet. Don't think anyone'll come up here and bug us. There's a town a couple miles away where we can stock up on supplies.” 

The open area gave way to the tree lines. The forest started out sparse like most and ended up thick near the center. There were plenty of trees and wood for them to use several feet in. All they needed to do was find a good spot to cut some up. 

“We still got some stuff in our bags.” Ed shrugged his shoulders and kept moving. Each step forward eased some of the stiffness around the port on his left leg. “If we take on too much more, it'll be a pain to lug with us when we pack up and leave.” 

“This place has women, so we're staying.” Greed knew Ed would keep bitching, or even worse, start asking questions if he didn't get right to the point. “Good-looking men too.” Not every place had that. “They don't go to bed early and know how to have a good time." He grinned at Ed. "My kind of people.” 

“What the hell, Greed? You didn't have to tell me _that_.” Ed stopped walking and glared. His mood soured even more, something he would've doubted possible a few minutes ago. Was that where Greed went when he disappeared at night? “And you had better have Ling's permission to be usin' his body like that.” 

“Huh?” Greed halted to a stop and turned around. “What’s it to you what I do with _my_ body?” 

Ed pushed past Greed, only pausing for a second to give a disgusted look. There was a fallen tree up ahead. That would be a good place to start cutting wood. “It was Ling's body first, and still is partly his. He should have a say in whether or not you can go fuck the town on our way through.” 

"Hey, ain't my fault your friend willing let me take over... not that he could've fought it for long." Greed caught up to Ed and reached out to give him a push back. "Don't go bitchin' about shit that doesn't concern you." 

It _was_ his business to make sure Ling wasn't being abused. If that meant pissing Greed off and taking on his anger then so be it. “It does concern me 'cause I actually give a fuck about Ling.” 

When Greed shoved him again, he didn't even react. Ed just stood there and took it. He stumbled backwards, his foot briefly catching on a tree root. Ed's back hit against a tree, and he fell to the ground in an undignified heap. He grunted and pushed away from it. “Not takin' back what I said. I don't care how much you beat on me for it.” 

“Why didn't you push me back?” Greed lifted Ed up off the ground and shook him a bit. “What's the point,” he sneered, letting go of Ed, “in hitting someone who won't fight back.” 

“If you're lookin' for a fight, go somewhere else.” Ed dropped his gaze down to the ground and focused on a medium-sized branch a few feet away from Greed. “I just think it's fucked up to go out and do that since you're not the only one livin' inside that body.” 

He ducked and moved past Greed and began cutting off pieces from the fallen branch. Ed needed to put some space between them, and they needed some fire wood. 

“Oh, you think Ling minds?” Greed's eyes widened a little and he hit his right fist into the palm of his left hand. “That's it, isn't it? You think I'm goin' out and the brat is suffering through it all.” He threw his head back and laughed. “I guess there're some things you don't know about him, huh?” 

Ed jerked, startling at Greed's loud laughter. It had been enough to cut through him like a sharp knife slicing up meat. “Hey, I never said that... just wasn't sure is all.” He rubbed his temple. If Ling didn't mind that meant... Ed sighed. Now he felt stupid for even saying anything. 

“One of these days I'm gonna figure out why you're always looking out for the next guy.” Greed's laughter died down. “It's damn adorable an' all but that shit'll get you killed.” 

“It won't get me killed. Nothin' wrong with watching out for friends.” Ed grunted and straightened out his arm. He began cutting the wood again, not even bothering to look at Greed. “And nothin’ you say is gonna change how I feel about it.” 

“Suit yourself. You wanna make shit hard for you, fine. Just don’t be a fucking dumbass while you’re with me.” Greed picked up a branch next to them and split it over his knee. “Got enough shit to keep track of.” 

“I only bitched about you havin’ sex with Ling’s body. S’not like I’m runnin’ around, fucking up and trying to save everyone I come in contact with.” Greed only gave him an ‘oh really?’ look. Ed rolled his eyes. “Okay… fine. Maybe I sort of do that if given a chance. Just how I am so your gonna have to deal with it.” 

“Sure if you don't mind getting a foot shoved up your ass if things go south for ya.” Greed finished breaking up the branch into smaller parts and then threw them into a pile. “I don't plan on baling you out every time. Not much in it for me if I gotta keep savin' your sorry ass.” 

“Maybe you should use your foot and shove me in their general direction. Then the Edward Elric problem'll be solved,” Ed snapped, turning around enough to glower at Greed. “No more wee, tiny kid to cramp your style.” 

For the second time that morning, Greed laughed. Ed said the most hilarious things when he was angry. “Is that so? I'll keep that in mind next time you're gettin' your ass kicked.” 

“You do that. And if you end up on the verge of getting your ass handed to you, I'll be there to back you up 'cause that's what bein' in a group is all about.” Ed turned back to his log and finished sawing it in half. 

He could easily transmute all this into cut wood piles, but this way burned off some steam, and he had plenty of that rolling around in his head right now. Greed was good for giving him sudden motivation to finish his work. Ed would cut up the rest of his wood the good ol' fashioned way just so he didn't have to deal with the bastard any longer than he had to. 

Too bad his peace and quiet didn't last long. Ed felt a strong poke against his back and turned to look over his shoulder. 

“You saying you're more loyal than I am?” Greed’s eyes clouded over with anger. 

Giving Greed an uninterested shrug, Ed tossed the last of the wood into a pile and sat down. He needed to rest his body and maybe stretch out his joints once he warmed himself up. 

“I’m sayin’ that bein’ in a group, in charge or not, means it’s not all about you or me.” Ed huddled as close as he could to the ground to keep the cold at bay. “It’s about everyone lookin’ out for each other. Just ‘cause you’re the boss doesn’t mean you should get a free pass on that.” 

Ed's teeth chattered, and Greed's expression softened a little. He noticed that happening more and more often but didn't comment on it. It was weird enough for Ed to process. 

“Alright. New rule,” Greed said out of the blue. “Since you’re about useless when you’re cold, the first thing you need to do in the morning is sit your skinny ass by the fire.” He took off his coat and tossed it at Ed. “Don’t ruin it or else I’ll beat the shit outta ya.” 

“I don’t need your pity,” Ed grumped as he pulled the jacket tight around his shoulders. He'd accept the offer, but only because he couldn't get his body to stop shivering. 

“Not pitying you. You’re no good to me like that.” Greed started towards the wood pile. “We should head back soon.” 

Or they could stay out here, start a fire, and forget about the camp for a bit. Ed liked that idea a hell of a lot better because while it was bad enough having Greed give him shit, he didn't want Darius and Heinkel to see him like this. Ed knew he looked worse for the wear. Being in the shadows and not seeing Al or his friends was taking its toll on him. 

“We could always make a fire and eat here. Gettin' hungry and don't wanna wait until we get back.” Ed sunk deeper down into Greed's coat. “Besides, I'd rather be alone right now anyway.” 

“I'm here so you're not really alone...” Greed said with a shit-eating grin plastered across his face. “Kind of fucked that one up for you from the get-go, didn't I?” 

Ed shrugged and then shivered again. Damn he wanted this day to warm up. “I can ignore you... would feel kinda bad if I ignored _them_.” 

“Tch, whatever. They're probably off fucking each other anyway.” Greed stood up and stretched. “Stay put. I'll get a fire going and go find some food. Try not to waste away to nothing while I'm gone.” 

Ed made a face at that thought. _What the hell_ did Greed mean by that? He didn't ask, though and tightened his body into a ball while he waited. “Thanks...” was all he muttered. It was none of his business if Darius and Heinkel were doing _that_ with each other. 

Pushing that thought aside, Ed forced himself to focus on his situation out here in the woods, with Greed. Despite his earlier insistence of wanting to be alone, Ed was grateful Greed was around. He wanted quiet and the ability to not feel obligated to be somewhat nice. He could easily do that with Greed. No matter how much he might tease Darius and Heinkel, Ed wasn't unkind about it, and some days he needed a target to lash out on. 

Ed wasn't sure why he got so angry at Greed sometimes other than buttons were often pushed that shouldn't have been, and it made unleashing his anger feel justified. Although, their roles were so very different than the first time they had met. Then Ed had been the one to push buttons and shoot off at the mouth when he should've stopped and listened. 

It was as if Greed was starting completely new. Even though Ling had told him Greed had remembered some things, apparently not enough to make him handle himself the same as before. The expectation he originally had needed reviewed. 

Greedling was a force of raucous laughter and a pissy attitude. He seemed to get off on getting a rise out of whomever would bite the bait. He walked into a room and immediately tried to act like he was in charge instead of simply owning that role. Greed lacked experience even though he knew his own name and had somewhat of an idea on how to take care of himself. His actions often had a childish-selfish quality to them. 

Wood dropped down in front of him with a loud thunk. Ed rested his chin on his knees and watched Greed make a fire. Once the first flames were spotted, he scooted closer and waited, still lost in thought. 

The whole concept of Greed being absorbed and remade puzzled Ed. He had worked that part out given how a six-foot plus homunculus somehow ended up in a tiny vile. So if Father could do all that, why not simply make a new Greed instead of taking the old and trying to erase all his memories? That should've been relatively easy unless Father had specifically selected certain stones inside himself for that sin. Or maybe he needed those parts to achieve his goal? 

Or maybe it had been a form of punishment or done in haste. Greed could simply have been put together quickly after Lust’s death. Father had to have known he wouldn’t stick around forever. Eventually, his avarice would win over. Greed wanted his own shit. Wanted to be king of his own castle. Ed hadn’t even been around him all that long and knew that much. 

It left him with the conclusion of Father was either rushed, punishing Greed, or had to use a certain aspects of himself to make Greed. Ed sighed, realizing that his thoughts were going around in circles. 

"I'm going to find some food for us. Sit here," he pointed a few inches closer to the fire from where Ed was already at, "and don't freeze your ass off while I'm gone." Greed stoked the fire one last time before taking off. 

Ed scooted as close to the flames as he could get without burning himself. He could hear Greed move through the trees. Not a very quiet guy. He exhaled an irritated sigh. It'd help if Greed was more light on his feet like Ling. 

Or maybe it didn't even matter. The closest town was still far enough away that no one bothered them. The woods didn't seem used. It amazed him how a dumb rumor of the woods being haunted was enough to keep people away. He had seen some things over the years, but spirits didn't exist in the way people thought. Philosopher stones were made out of human souls, but those souls couldn't linger on, out in the open, and torment people. 

Still, it turned out to their advantage that the town held some deep superstitions about the woods. Ed was glad they didn't have to worry about other hunters or hikers coming and going. This was by far the quietest place they found, and other than the cold, he did like it here. It was too bad winter was settling in, making it impossible for them to stay. 

The question of how long could they really stick around before they risked being found by Father lingered in his mind. That had been something they all agreed on when they first became this little group. They'd live in the shadows, and they'd keep moving because they all knew Wrath and the other homunculi were relentless. 

Al had told Ed about what had happened to Greed before, back in Dublith. Wrath had found out Greed was there, tracked him down, and brought him back to Father to be executed. If they were truly being careful, they needed to head out within the next day or so despite what Greed had said. Logic and survival dictated otherwise even if a part of him liked the idea of sticking around in place for a while. If they were found out, there was no way in hell any of them would stand a chance against the Fuhrer. 

He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but movement in the trees snapped him out of his thoughts. Greed came through a few minutes later with two skinned rabbits in hand, both a medium size. 

Greed put a sharp stick through the skinned rabbits. “I need two mounds to hold this up and make a spit.” 

Ed winced at the sight of it, but stopped himself from reacting further. Instead, he focused on the lesson that Teacher had him when he was a kid. Ed clapped his hands together, then touched the ground. He not only managed two mounds, but they both looked like they were handcrafted for a spit. 

“How’s this?” A proud grin split across his face and his stomach rumbled at the thought of having warm food in his belly. 

"Not bad." Greed gave Ed a nod of approval and set the rabbits and stick across the mounds. "Where you'd learn to do alchemy so well? Teach yourself or did someone else teach ya?" 

"I learned from the best teacher anyone could have." Ed left out the part where he and Al already were good in their own right before Izumi took them on. He huddled in and tried to pull Greed's jacket tighter. "She lives in Dublith, and actually kicked your ass before," he added with a grin. His grin fell once he realized what he had said. 

He knew Greed didn't remember that. Or maybe he did. Ed wasn't sure exactly where the lost memories started or how it worked. Greed maybe remembered more than the faces of his old friends, but there didn't seem to be much details to go with it. 

"Why the hell do you look like you just lost your best friend?" Greed turned the stick slowly while eying Ed with suspicion. "You better not be over there, feeling sorry about what you said. Already told ya I don't care." 

"It was still a dick thing to say." Ed tried to be a relatively nice guy despite how often he crabbed at other people and generally liked being alone or with his family and the few people called friends, but he wasn't an asshole by default. 

"Don't tell me you're the type of person who apologizes for _every_ teeny, tiny fuckup they make 'cause that's gonna get old real quick." Greed leaned his head down closer to the fire and blew on it. Ash unsettled and a few sparks flew up when the flames grew. 

"Here, hold on," Ed unbundled himself from his huddle. He grabbed the nearest stick and poke around the fire. "You blow while I poke, alright." 

"Bossy little shit, aren't you?" Despite the accusation, Greed blew while Ed poked. 

Ed almost apologized for who knew what reason but thought better of it. Instead, a half-grin formed on his lips and he shrugged. "Only when I gotta be. It's gettin' the job done at least." 

“I can get the job done without your shitty commentary," Greed said with mild annoyance. 

Another shrug and half grin was all Ed planned on giving Greed. This the most pep he had felt all morning and knew it wouldn't last. Once he had eaten and more time to think, he'd go right back to feeling awful so he was going to savor this for as long as it lasted before that deep, nagging emptiness settled deep in his chest again. 

When the rabbits looked cooked enough, Ed made a blade from his automail and started cutting slices of meat for them. It wasn't much of a breakfast, and he would seriously consider giving a part of his soul for some eggs if there had been a farm nearby. 

They ate in comfortable silence. Given the time it had taken to catch and cook the food, Ed figured a full hour, maybe more had passed. The sun now set little higher in the sky, and the morning finally started to warm. At least there were no clouds in sight. That meant no snow or rain for the time being. A small comfort but he'd take it. 

Ed finished eating rather quickly. He hadn't realized how hungry he'd been until the first bite of meat touched his tongue. His stomach grumbled for more. One bite led to the next until he felt satisfied. He glanced down at the small amount of food left in his lap. He'd save that for a snack later. 

Leaning back on his elbows, Ed grabbed a stick from off the ground and played with it. Greed watched him while eating, and it struck Ed how incredibly comfortable and mundane the entire situation felt. Despite his terrible mood, and the unsavory cold, Ed felt a little better for now. 

“You remember how Father did it?” Ed asked while he flipped the twig in his hand up in the air. He wasn't even sure why he brought it up again other than the thought wouldn't leave him be. 

Greed chucked a pebble at him. “Not really…” He mulled over the question. “Felt hot. It burned. That’s about all I can remember, and it's more of a feeling I get when I think about it.” 

“Eh, maybe someday it'll come back to you.” Ed didn't know what else to say so he simply shrugged. 

“I can live without it.” Greed pulled on his food and took a bite. “Figured if that old fuck wants it, he can have it. Probably the only one who can give it back to me and there's no way I'm askin' him for any favors.” 

As much as Ed wanted to pass this off as an exchange of information, watching Greed try to pretend like it didn’t bug him having nothing had dug up some old feelings he had towards his own old-fuck of a dad. It made him feel bad, and Ed needed that feeling to go away. 

Besides, they were kind of related in a weird way. Family looked out for each other regardless of what kind of family they were or the dirty specifics about how they were. Father came from Hohenhiem and the homunculi came from Father so theoretically he was Greed’s... 

... uncle... cousin...? 

Ed made a sour face like he had just gnawed on a lemon, and his brain backpedaled a few steps. His body shivered only this time not from the cold. He could selectively forget he ever came to that conclusion because being related to Greed was weird on so many levels, and a blood sample used to make a homunculus hardly counted as family. 

"We'll be heading out tomorrow morning. Darius and Heinkel can go through the supplies and gather any we might need." Greed planned on keeping Ed here where he could be watched. 

"Thought you wanted to stay?" Ed gave Greed a curious look. He wanted to know why Greed suddenly changed his plans. 

"Changed my mind, that's what." Greed glared down at Ed. "You gonna bitch about leaving now?" 

"Fine, whatever." He wouldn't argue with Greed. His curiosity wasn't worth it this time. "What're we gonna do?" Ed tossed the last piece of wood down. "It's not fair for them to have'ta do all the work." 

"We got wood for the fire, and we'll catch dinner later," Greed paused then shrugged, "And you can wash our extra clothes." 

If washing clothes by using alchemy wasn't so easy, Ed would've protested. He _always_ got stuck with laundry duty. Having him to do it was a time saver. Anyone else would've had to take the dirty clothes to a creek or laundry house. 

He hated the idea of being the 'laundry boy,' though. Ed shrugged. "Whatever. Won't take me long to clean them anyway." 

"That's the spirit," Greed said with a half-hearted laugh. "Your enthusiasm is killing me. Wish I could bottle it up and sell it." 

Ed balled his hands into fists until his knuckles turned white. He really hated it when Greed got smart with him. “But if you think I’m gonna stay put while they run their asses off, you don’t know a damn thing about me.” 

“You know what I don’t get about you, Ed?” Greed looked Ed over disapprovingly. “You’re not satisfied until you make shit hard on yourself.” 

“What good’ll it do me to stay here. This isn’t about me makin’ shit hard on myself.” Ed heaved out an exasperated sigh. “Feels like I’m gonna crawl out my skin as it is.” 

Greed shook his head. "You really are a head case, aren't you?" There was no real bite in his words. "Fine, we can split the supply run between all four of us if you're that desperate to work." 

That seemed too easy considering how their day started. Ed wished he could be less suspicious of Greed and his motivations. Today wasn’t that day. He ran his fingers through his hair. Time to bargain. “What do you want in exchange for agreeing with me?” 

“In exchange?” Greed laughed loudly as if Ed had just said the most ridiculous thing ever. “Not an alchemist, kid. You can save that shit for someone else.” He reached over the fire and poked Ed in the chest. “The only thing I require from you is your subordination and loyalty when I need ‘em.” 

They both stood up, and Ed dusted off his clothes. Ed didn’t bother to point out that Greed still wanted something return. That’s how the world worked no matter what people wanted to call their equivalent exchanges for services rendered. Greed might not want something from him right this second, but Ed knew at some point Greed would cash in or at least try to. Depending on what the exchange entailed would determine whether or not he would break his promise. 

“Whatever. Don’t get pissed at me later on if things change.” Ed shrugged and kept walking. 

Greed snorted doubtfully. “You shouldn’t say shit you don’t mean. You’ll keep your word so long as it doesn’t involve killing anyone.” 

"That so? Didn't realize my moral compass was so low that the only thing to stop me is the idea of killing someone," he half-joked. 

"What moral compass." Greed's eyes lit up and he cackled. "You're mine now. Tough break an' all, but there're no morals out here in no-man's land." 

"Get real," Ed snorted then laughed. "I don't belong to you or anyone else, dumbass." 

His right hand reached out and shoved Greed. He wasn’t even sure why he did it other than it had been an automatic reaction and was supposed to be a joke. Only he noticed after the fact how uneven and crumbly the ground looked. 

Before he could stop it, Greed tumbled down a small ravine, landing with a hard smack against the ground. He peered over before bracing himself and slid down the hill after Greed. Ed's boots skidded against the grass, pulling up chunks of dirt and some rocks. 

Greed really needed to take more cues from Ling if a simple push had taken him out. Even if he had been taken by complete surprise, his rebound sucked. Ed reached the bottom and stumbled, almost lost his footing before balancing out his body weight. 

A loud sigh, followed by a spectacular display of rolling his eyes, Ed went over to inspect the lump on the ground. Greed was still, probably lying in wait for him to get closer and would jump up to surprise him. Ed walked over to the clearly faux-motionless body. 

“Hey, Greed…” When he didn’t get an answer, Ed poked Greed with his right foot. He couldn’t believe Greed bit it so bad. “Damn you really went ass over cart,” he said laughing. 

His laughter died down. No answer. Weird. Maybe Greed was just fucking with him. Ed knew that fall wouldn’t’ve killed Greed, but it could’ve been hard enough to knock him out. He poked Greed’s side with his foot again. “Hey, now, don’t fuck around like this. It’s not funny.” 

Ed bent over and turned Greed around. Hands reached up and grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling Ed in close. 

“You feel so cold!” The hug grew tighter. “And thin! Hasn’t Greed been feeding you?!” 

His eyes widened for a few seconds, and Ed recognized that voice right away. What a time for _this_ to happen. “Ling, you’re fuckin’ choking me. Can’t breathe." Ed wheezed and coughed while his body tried to squirm out of Ling's death grip. "Get off me." 

"You're so mean," Ling dramatically flopped away from Ed as if the request had physically wounded him. "It's been weeks since you've seen me. Where's the love?" 

“There is no love, dumbass. You could've suffocated me!” His yelling was only half-hearted, though. Ed was genuinely glad to see Ling. “Why do you gotta get clingy so fast.” 

“Would you rather I wake Greed up?” Ling stood up and brushed himself off, giving Ed a pointed look. “That should be easy enough to do...” 

“No, fine... I missed you. You're the best pain in the ass a guy could have. Happy?” Ed put some space between them as soon as Ling got up. He didn’t want to risk getting squished again. 

“I smell food,” Ling perked up at the thought of eating. “You have anymore rabbit meat?” 

His hand immediately moved to cover his pocket. Ed scowled. Dammit, he had planned on saving the rest for later. “Anyone ever told you eavesdropping on other people’s conversations is rude?” 

“Nope, you're the first!” Ling gave Ed his best innocent smile, which did not look so innocent in Ed's opinion. 

Ed growled but pulled out the cooked rabbit meat he had in his pocket. “Here, don't go sayin' I never did anything for you." He unwrapped it and handed it over to Ling. "You think Greed would've rubbed off on you enough to stop telling your shitty lies.” 

Ling only shrugged at Ed while he chomped on the food. Ed had questions. It had been a while since he had seen Ling. After that last time, right before Ed teamed up with Greed, there had been no sign of him anywhere. Greed seemed determined to keep Ling's ability to slip out on occasion in check. 

After their conversation earlier, Ed knew Greed and Ling talked, and maybe even knew each other's thoughts. Quite frequently it seemed. Often enough that when Ling gained control, he already knew they had eaten and what they had eaten. 

He waited until Ling slowed down a little. Ed crouched down and gave Ling another look-over. “How long you think you got 'till the Greedy bastard takes over?” 

“Don’t be so hard on him. He doesn’t mean anything by it. Right now, this group is the closest thing he has to friends _and_ family.” Ling stuffed another piece of rabbit meat into his mouth. "Especially you, Ed. He's got a soft spot for you." 

"Gimmie a break." Ed watched Ling devour the food he and Greed had cooked and sighed. "You should slow down with the food. Greed and I just ate, which means you ate too already." 

Ling loudly swallowed his food. "I don't remember eating so it doesn't count." When he reached for the last piece, Ed pulled it away. 

"You're like a damned kid. Don't know when to stop." Ed glared. Between Ling and Greed, there _might be_ a wee smidge of lingering maturity, but he seriously doubted it. “You finally get free and all you wanna do is sit here and eat my damn food.” 

“What are you doing that's so important?” Ling folded his hands together and rested his chin on them. “Hmm? It seems to me that there's not much going on other than laying low and keeping off the military's radar.” 

As much as he hated to admit it, Ling had a point. Their main goal was to lay low and avoid being found by Father or any of the other homunculi. Even though Bradley had said Ed could continue his goal, after Briggs, he was pretty sure that agreement had ended. If Ed showed his face now, he risked being captured. The only way for all of them to stand a chance at defeating the homunculi was to bide their time and wait until spring. 

“Yeah, so what... we do stuff. Supposed to head back so we can do a supply run.” Ed wrinkled his nose at the thought of going back to camp to collect supplies and then pack up. 

“We don't have to go back now, you know.” Ling stood up and pulled his arms up over his head. “You can always blame it on me.” 

With that, Ling took off. Ed stared, stunned for a couple seconds before going after him. Who was he to complain about an offer to avoid going back and being around everyone? Once they were done exploring the woods, Ed would come back and collect his wood pile. Going back to camp could wait. 

They moved further into the woods, past a small pond and a clearing. Ling stopped once they were in the thick of the trees. He plopped down on a fallen tree trunk and waited for Ed to join him. 

“Why the hell did’ya take off?” Ed stopped to catch his breath. The lingering chill in the late morning air made each breath hurt a little. 

“This is much better. Quieter and less chance anyone will interrupt us.” Ling scooted over on the log to give Ed enough room to sit. 

“All that to be alone?” Ed huffed as he flopped down next to Ling. “We were only going back to camp. We wouldn't’ve run into anyone.” 

Ling gave him another innocent smile before shrugging. “Have you decided how you’re going to defeat the homunculi?” All joking around stopped as suddenly as it came. “Greed said no one seems to have a solid plan yet.” 

So that’s why Ling brought him out here. To talk without interruption. Made sense, and he wouldn't mind a little time to talk with Ling alone. They could use it considering how long it had been since they had seen each other. 

Ed looked down at the ground. Greed wasn’t exactly wrong. As far as he knew, no one knew how this would all go down. They needed to meet up with either Al or Mustang. Ed had no idea when they should do that except it was too soon. The timing had to right. If they all met too soon, they risked Father discovering their plan. 

“No, we don’t. I have a feeling Mustang has something worked out, but it’ll be a bit before we head to Central.” Ed also wanted to see Al first then maybe some of their old friends. 

Any information passed back and forth would be done that way. “Al might know something too. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen everyone. You got any idea where Lan Fan and Fu are holed up?” 

He figured if nothing else, Ling could probably sense their Chi. Ed had been on the fringe for so long that he didn't have much information to share. 

"They're still in Amestris. I know they never left." Ling placed his chin back into the palms of his hands. "When the time is right, they'll find me." 

"You mean when we go up against the Fuhrer and the other homunculi, don't you?" Ed already knew the answer to that. He hadn't expected Lan Fan and Fu to leave Ling behind and let their prince fight alone. 

Ling's fighting skills had helped Greed survive a run-in with Wrath the second time. What would happen in a few months when they needed to head to Central and fight Father? By then maybe Greed and Ling would be working together better instead of one trying to suppress the other, but Ed wouldn't count on that unknown factor. The homunculi had surprised him before with how easy it seemed for them to take over and push humans out. Even with skilled alchemists on their side, they were going to have a near impossible fight on their hands. 

"Yes. Right now, it's for the best that we stay separated. I'm not sure either of them will understand my decision to accept Greed in me." Ling smiled again and this time Ed thought it looked a little forced. "They will be pleased, though, that I've managed to find the solution to getting a stone." 

"Ling... you didn't have a choice. Maybe you think you did, but either way, Father would've put Greed in you." As far as Ed was concerned, Ling needed to stop saying and believing that. 

It basically amounted to underestimating Father. Ed had seen what Father could do. So had Ling. They would never win if they underestimated any of their opponents. All of them, for a very long time, had been used, had their strings pulled from an unseen enemy. Then Ed got an up close and personal view of that enemy, and it had given him chills. 

Ling's chest rose and then he sighed dramatically. "You shouldn't focus on everything that's gone wrong. There's been some good that's come out of this mess." 

Ed frowned. Sure, they had information and help organizing an opposition to the Promised Day, but he found it hard to see little else that was good. "Like what?" Being out in the middle of nowhere, in the cold didn't count. 

"We have a homunculus on our side, and we're not the only ones who know what's ahead." Ling adjusted himself on the fallen tree so that he could tuck both legs underneath his body. "I'm not worried about the people in this country pulling together to help." 

Ed only partly agreed. there were people who would help, but most of the country had no idea what was going on, and he wasn't convinced that their small army of dissidents would be enough. "We'll see. It's either gonna work or fail. Don't think there'll be in in-between on this one..." 

He didn't have any faith in the general population catching on to the fact that there was a four-hundred-year-old homunculus trying to kill them all without mass panic ensuing. Ed had seen too many things in his short life to convince him otherwise. The only way people would get through this without the panic and fuckups was if they had a strong lead, which would probably end up being the bastard Colonel. 

If anyone could pull the people of Amestris together and lead them, it was Roy Mustang. Ed grunted. "I think Mustang has something up his sleeve. Usually does and is damn good at this shit. Won't know for sure until we meet up with everyone else. I was thinking we could start in Liore and move from there." 

"Why there?" Ling frowned and a look of uncertainty spread across his face. "Wouldn't Central City be a better place to start?" 

"I don't think so. Father and the other homunculi are there. It'd be better to go places where they're less likely to be, but where I have known contacts," Ed explained. "Mustang knows I'm close with a few people in Liore. And there are other places if that doesn't pan out. If he's going to leave me information, it'll be away from Central and in a place he knows there are people he can trust to pass the message along to me. 

"The people in Liore can be trusted. He knows that." Ed paused and then looked down at his hands. "We could also try Yuleswell and Resembool, but the military is probably watching my home town in case I return. Going back there'll be tricky." 

"Resembool should be easy enough to avoid, shouldn't it?" Ling mused. "If you think they'll look for you there, then it should be off the list." 

"Yeah, I know that's what makes the most sense, but my automail is going to need some maintenance so I'm gonna have'ta go there eventually despite the risks involved." Aside from growing, being on the run caused a lot of wear and tear on it even though Ed was extra careful to oil it regularly. "Dunno if Winry'll come back home, but Granny Pinako'll be there. She can do it if there's no other choice." 

Ed didn't know how much time he had to wait around before his body hit another growth spurt. It would only take a few more inches added to his height before walking would be damn near impossible, let alone running or fighting. 

Ling mulled over the information. "I know you said going back was a mistake, but you're going to need to, you should know of ways to sneak in. You grew up there, after all." 

"That's true. I can think of a few ways to get back home without being noticed... maybe." Ed knitted his brows and looked down at the ground. "Still, it'd be better not to go there until I absolutely have to." 

"It makes sense to lay low no matter where you're going. I think you should start heading back now. The winter may slow you down." Ling paused and then shook his head. Beads of sweat began to form on his brow. "Although, the cold doesn't suit you, Ed. You might have to stay put somewhere for awhile." 

Ed's eyes narrowed. "Yeah sure..." Ling didn't look so well. "You okay? You look a little out of it." 

Ling lurched forward and gasped. "Dammit, he's waking up." Ling put his hand on his head and closed his eyes. "Not that it matters. It seems like you guys aren't going to do much anytime soon." 

Ed couldn't argue with that, though he wished Ling would stick around longer. He scowled. The constant fight for dominance between Greed and Ling wasted time. Why couldn’t they cooperate and work together as a team. 

Ling would probably agree with an idea like that, but Greed... definitely wasn't there yet. Greed wanted to be in charge and hated losing control. Whenever Ling broke free it never lasted too long. 

The transformation wasn't new to Ed. He had seen it a few times before. Ling opened his mouth to say something only to close it again, and then his body vibrated a little. Now the only thing left to do was wait until they finished. 

"Where the fuck are we?" Greed held his head in his hands and groaned. 

Greed curled his body inward as if he had a splitting headache. Ed wondered if the fall had done that, though, Greed should've healed if there had been a physical injury. 

"Out in the middle of nowhere. Ling wanted to come here." Ed stood up and started heading back the way he came. "We should go back. We've been gone awhile." 

They had to be heading into early afternoon by now. Touching base with Darius and Heinkel was a good idea if Greed wanted to pack up and leave by tomorrow morning and still do a supply run. 

When Greed didn't budge, Ed stocked over, grabbed him by the arm, and pulled. "C'mon, what's with you? You're not mad 'cause I accidentally knocked you down that hill are you? It's not like it could've killed you." 

Greed looked at Ed, confused. "What the hell are you talking about?" He held his head in the palm of his hand. "This got nothin' to do with you. Something's... not right." 

Ed went to walk way only to have a clawed carbon hand reach out and grab his right wrist. It loudly scraped against his automail, causing him to wince. “Greed, let go or else you’re gonna mess up my arm.” 

Then Ed noticed. Something wasn’t right. Greed's pupils were blown and the way he had been holding his head... "Greed, let go, okay?" His voice came out softer, almost gentle. He tugged his arm and this time Greed let go. “We can wait if you don’t wanna go back yet.” 

It was as if Greed wasn't really there, listening to word he said. He honestly had no idea what to do so he stood still and waited. Then Greed tugged harder until Ed was almost sitting in his lap. The awkwardness of the situation hit Ed hard. 

He tried to scramble backwards only to have Greed hold on tighter. This trip wasn't fun anymore. He needed to get out of these woods and into some fresh, open air. 

"Greed... we need to get back. It's getting late, and Darius and Heinkel are probably wondering where the fuck we're at." Ed managed to pull his arm away now that Greed's grip had loosened. The closeness was too much. Friends didn't crawl into friends laps unless there was something else going on. 

Greed's hands fell to his sides, and he let Ed stand up. "Give me a minute," he said, pushing Ed away. 

Ed stumbled back but didn't argue. If Greed needed an extra few minutes to get his bearings then fine. It wasn't as if he had the right to complain—it wasn't his body that had to shift back and forth between owners. 

"Okay, if you need a minute then take it." Ed grunted, pacing back and forth with his hands stuffed into his coat pockets, all the way around the fallen branch Greed sat on. He didn't know why he felt so anxious, but Greed's mood wasn't helping, and he needed to keep moving before he caved into the need to freak out. 

"Stop moving around so damn much," Greed chided while rubbing his temple. "You're making my damn head spin." 

"I can't stand still, Greed." Ed did stop, though. "I don't mind waiting 'till you get a handle on it but gotta keep moving cause if I don't, I'm gonna run out of steam." 

Greed only glared at him but said nothing more on the matter. Ed decided to take his pacing elsewhere, several feet away, hoping that maybe if he was out of Greed's direct line of sight, it wouldn't bother the other. He hadn't been lying about the running out of steam part. If Ed slowed down and didn't keep busy, he wasn't sure he'd make it back to their camp without lying on the forest ground for a few hours first. 

Ed stopped long enough to look over at Greed, who was still sitting on the log like a useless lump. Coming all the way out here had probably been a bad idea, though Ling was responsible for that. Ed could've stayed behind but had followed so he could talk to his friend and also to keep an eye on Greed. It had made sense at the time, but now he wished they had stayed closer to the camp. Then he would've simply walked back, told Darius and Heinkel one or both of them needed to come and get their boss. 

It looked like it was up to him to get Greed going. Ed tried his best not to stomp on over. His frustration was fairly apparently in the way he walked, but he managed to keep his automail foot from leaving marks in the ground so he'd take that as a win. 

"Alright, c'mon, up you go. You've rested long enough," he said, tugging Greed's arm. "Once we get back to camp if you wanna chill that's fine by me, but it's cold and miserable out here and not gonna leave you behind." 

Greed pushed Ed hard enough to make him stumble back. “Piss off. I’m not ready.” 

The heals of his feet dug into the ground. Ed wasn’t going to back off. Not this time. They were out of time to dick around. Greed was gonna have to pull himself together. 

“If you want us to head to town, we need to get moving unless you're gonna do most of it on your own tonight.” Ed planned on going to bed early. 

There was a moment’s pause, and for a second, Ed thought Greed might jump him. His body tensed, his heals dug back into the ground, and he waited. When nothing happened, Ed visibly relaxed, earning a curious look from Greed. 

“Fine, but we’re walking back.” Greed finally said as he stood up, brushed past Ed, and started I the direction of their camp. 

“Fine,” Ed said back as he hunched his shoulders. It wasn't, though. Not if they were going to plod the entire way back. 

Greed seemed plenty intent on taking his time. Ed could feel the no-so-subtle creeping anxiety coming back full-swing. He had to slow down in order to keep Greed within his sight. Ed wasn't even sure why he was doing it other than if something went wrong, he'd feel responsible for not being there to help. 

His patience was running thin, though, and he knew he'd only be able to keep this up a little while longer. He tried a well-placed glare and even huffed a few times, but Greed ignored him, not even bothering to glance his way. 

"How come we're not going faster? Getting supplies could take longer than expected so we should give ourselves extra time." Ed slowed down and waited for Greed to catch up to him. "Feels like I’m gonna start moving backwards if I slow down anymore." 

Greed pushed some branches out of the way and walked past Ed. "It conserves energy. No point in running unless we have to." 

Ed hadn't been aware that they needed to 'conserve energy' when they didn't do anything all that strenuous to begin with. "Whatever. If you wanna waste to whole morning for a walk in the woods then who the fuck am I to stop ya?" 

He stomped through the forest. Maybe when they got back to camp, they should revise who paired off with whom. Ed could use the quiet company of either Darius or Heinkel. He was certain Greed probably felt the same. 

Today had covered all his miserable little idiosyncrasies that always lurked around his brain, waiting for him to slip up and say something out of place at the wrong time. All he needed to trigger that reaction from himself was a bad start to his morning. Then, one often led to another and then another until he had had enough of the miserable day and went to bed. 

The overwhelming and suffocating feeling in his chest made it hard for him to breathe. Usually when he felt this shitty, it stuck around for a few days, sometimes longer. Being out here, away from Al and Winry and the people closest to him took away his need for his usual façade of pretending like everything was okay. 

Here, pretenses weren’t needed. Ed gave Greed that much. The bastard knew how to keep it simple and didn’t judge. It didn’t matter that they spent all morning, bitching at each other. The next conversation always started out fresh. 

Ed could hear the trees moving behind him. Good. Greed wasn't that far back after all. Soon, Ed saw the piles of wood they had left before and slowed down. Camp was just over that ridge then. 

"See that wasn't so bad," he said as Greed came through the trees. "Now we can head back with the wood and get on with it." 

"Yeah, 'm sure others missed your shit-ass attitude." Greed gave Ed a dirty look as he went over to his pile of wood. "You're all peaches an' cream and sunshine an' rainbows. Can't get enough of it." 

Sarcasm had become easy for him to ignore but that stung a little. Ed gave Greed the stink-eye and gathered his own pile of wood. Once he had a sufficient enough of a bundle to carry, he headed back to camp. Maybe later, after they did their supply run, he'd come back and get the rest. They'd probably need more wood by tonight, and it'd give him an excuse to be alone. 

If Greed decided to leave him alone. Ed grunted and scowled. “The fuck did I do wrong to have a two-hundred-year-old homunculus up my ass,” he muttered. 

Greed bumped into Ed, knocking the wood out of his hands. A new form of retribution for his constant complaining? Apparently his muttering had been louder than he realized. 

"Watch where you're going," Greed said crabbily. "Don't got all damn day so you better pick that shit up and not slow me down." 

The term 'go fuck yourself' never applied as much as it did right now. Ed seethed, whirled around, and put his automail fist into the tree behind him. It took a few tries to pull it back out, but he managed it somehow. 

Bending down and gathering the wood again took a little time. Ed was in no hurry to get back to camp now. He could probably use another hour to fully cool down, but he'd take a few extra minutes to calm himself before facing the others lest he risk putting his fist through Greed's face the next time he saw the bastard.


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Idleness is a fool's errand._

Ed finally got his shit together—and all the wood he had been holding—and walked back to their camp as slow as he could manage, pausing every couple of feet to drag it out even more. With each dig of his heals in the ground, his anger threatened to bubble up inside of him until it exploded all over. Ed tried to counter that feeling and get control of his emotions by sucking in deep breaths and letting them out slowly. He even tried counting to fifty. Unsurprisingly, it only helped him a little.    
   
He closed his eyes and stood still. Ed knew he needed more time, but he also knew he didn't have a lot to waste in the forest. He wet his lips and moved his left hand over his forehead. What he did have was a few extra minutes he could use to calm himself down. His eyes slowly opened and took in what was around him.    
   
A couple feet in front of him stood a wide tree with branches that split into two main ones. Ed went over to it and leaned his shoulder against the rough bark. His hair caught on the tree and pulled, but Ed ignored it. He glanced up at the sky through the split. The brightness from the sun made him squint. The wood dropped out of his hands and landed on the ground with a loud thwap when he lifted his left hand to shield his eyes. The sun sat almost midway in the sky now. Already the morning was gone and he was heading into the afternoon. Only a few more hours to go before nightfall then he could go to sleep and put this day behind him.  If his luck was good enough, he'd find a way to keep himself warm and the nightmares at bay.    
   
His eyes closed again as he breathed in the pine and crisp air of the forest. The birds that hadn't migrated south for the winter, chirped and rustled through the branches. Ed heard rustling of leaves to his right, no doubt a small animal foraging for food. He softly exhaled a quiet sigh. Nature always calmed him. Ed waited until his heart stopped beating so fast and the urge to punch Greed lessened, then he opened them, bent down, and picked up the wood. He grunted as he maneuvered the wood in his arms, cursing softly when a piece tipped and toppled out of his hands.    
   
Ed gave it a swift kick and left it. He had run out of time to dick around without it looking suspect or without it looking like he was  _pouting_. He wouldn't give Greed the satisfaction so he forced himself to put one foot in front of the other and got moving. After chiding himself a few times, his legs began to move a little faster the closer he got to their camp.    
   
The tree line gave way to grass, and Ed found himself back with the group.  _Sort of_. Only a few more feet to go, yet he stood still until his eyes settled on Greed as he tried to assess the situation before fully joining them. His hackles were already raised enough that if he was heading into a fight, Ed wanted to brace himself for it.    
   
Greed immediately turned his head away.  He had been watching and waiting. Ed scowled as that thought fully settled into his mind.  _The bastard had been waiting for him to come back_. Ed narrowed his eyes and hesitated. Now he was glad he hadn't torn in after Greed and made a scene. No one else needed to know they had been at each other's throats all morning.    
   
"Hey, kid," Darius gave Ed a nod. "The boss giving you a hard time again?"    
   
Ed glowered at Darius. Then he turned his attention to Heinkel because when one of them started in on something, the other always followed with an unwanted opinion.    
   
Heinkel didn't say anything at first and only watched Ed for a moment before obligatorily chiming in with his own advice. "You know... if you didn't react, he might leave you alone."    
   
A loud grunt slipped out of him before he could stop it. Ed closed his mouth immediately and glared harder. Heinkel might think he knew the situation, but he didn't. Ed was certain no matter how he reacted, Greed was damned determined to fuck with him. He could've stayed back here and refused to go, and Greed would've stayed behind too, probably needling him for being a baby. Or worse, by showing too much sympathy. Ed hated being pitied the most. That was why he left camp to begin with. He wouldn't have to face sympathetic stares from the rest of the group.    
   
"Whatever." Ed looked away from them both, already done with this conversation. "The  _boss_  can get bent for all I care."    
   
He half-stomped over to near the fire pit they had made and dropped his wood down next to Greed’s. Ed took his time brushing the bits of dirt and bark off his clothes until all that was left was the muck embedded in the cloth. He clapped his hands together and touched his calves to get rid of the mud on his boots and any lingering bits that had clung to him. If they were going to help with errands, he wanted to look somewhat clean so he’d draw less attention to himself. A good, hot shower would work best, but they didn't have access to one so he made do with using his alchemy to clean up what a cold bath in the river couldn't.    
   
After he finished, Ed went over to join everyone else, bracing himself for more questions or comments that might be tossed his way. Instead, Darius ruffled his hair. Ed _hated_ that. It always made him feel like a little kid. He swatted the offended hand away with his own. “Hey, cut it out! You’re gonna get it all knotted up!”    
   
“That’s for volunteering us without asking,” Heinkel cut in, giving Ed’s hair a good, hard ruffle himself.    
   
Ed made a face and pushed his way between them. Why did they always go for his hair? “Take it up with Greed. It was his idea.” At least Ed had managed to talk Greed into splitting up the chores instead of pushing it all on them.    
   
“Didn’t you say we were with you when this whole thing started?” Darius added. “That means you’re supposed to negotiate for us.”    
   
“I fucking did.  _He_ ,” Ed jerked his thumb towards Greed, “wanted to have you two do all the running, but hey, keep blaming me, and I might conveniently forget about fairness next time and let him stick it all on you.” He wouldn’t forget about it, though, and they all knew it. “’Sides, figured you two might like getting’ rid of us for a while so you can be alone and do your _thing_.”    
   
He closed his mouth as soon as he said it, and his face and neck felt hot. Ed wasn't even sure why he brought it up suddenly except maybe to prove Greed wrong. Prove that there was nothing going on between their two teammates and it was only his imagination. Darius and Heinkel both glanced at each other before shooting Ed confused looks. "I only meant that we've been gone most the morning anyway and all we do is bicker so it's probably been—" He sighed and scratched the side of his head. "Never mind," he muttered.    
   
"You two always ar—" Darius started saying until Heinkel gave him a nudge in the shoulder.    
   
Greed busted up laughing and walked past them. "Way to stick your foot in your mouth, Ed." He paused to reach back and ruffle Ed's hair too. "Get your shit together. We're leaving in five."    
   
His face felt even hotter. Ed could feel hairs that came out of his ponytail sticking up on his head. It matched his mood and the mess he called a life. He half-stomped off again, making a point to let his left leg hit the ground with a loud thud. With each stomp, he felt a sharp pain near his port but ignored it. Ed didn't want to put full effort into it lest it seem like he was taking a temper tantrum, but he also wanted them all to know he was done with their hair ruffling bullshit and it was best to leave him be.   
   
The next person to touch his head was getting a metal fist to the face. He'd go get his coat and money now. Why wait five more minutes when they could be heading towards that town Greed was going on about earlier right now? There was nothing more to say anyway.    
   
What Darius and Heinkel did (or didn't do) while he and Greed weren't around was none of his business. Some things were better left unknown and going through the embarrassment of being teased wasn't on his agenda today.    
   
The tent flap tore several inches down when Ed ripped it back. He cursed loudly, purposely ignoring the tear, and dug through his things. He kept a larger bag and a smaller bag with him. There wasn't much there. The larger held a couple trinkets friends had given him, a letter from Winry, and all the stuff he needed to keep his automail in working order. Only the small bag held anything of value to others. His money. They had avoided withdrawing any more since those two doctors patched him up in North City so that they wouldn't leave a paper trail on where to find them.    
   
Ed grabbed the smaller bag and exited the tent. Greed was standing nearby—hands folded across his chest and shit-eating grin in place—waiting. Ed walked past, not bothering to spare Greed a glance. "I'm ready to go. The sooner we leave and get this shit over with, the better."     
   
"Suit yourself." Greed shrugged and fell in step with Ed. "You sure you got everything you need? We might not be back for a while since we're walkin' there."    
   
"I got my money and that's all we need. Since we already ate, don't gotta worry 'bout food for a while. If we get hungry, then we can probably afford something small to hold us off 'till 'we're done." Ed tightened his hold on the bag. He wanted to make sure he had it nice and close to him. "Bringing anything else would only slow me down."    
   
His footfalls were heavy as they left the camp behind them and headed towards the town, which was in the opposite direction they had gone in this morning. Greed walked past him. Ed ducked his head down, moved his right arm around his bag, stuffed his hands in his coat pocket, and followed. The sun now rested higher in the sky and had warmed the day up a little. Despite the warmth from it, he still shivered a little whenever he felt the wind kick up. Ed missed his winter jacket he wore at Briggs, but that thing had been bloodied and torn up from his accident so he had left it behind up North.    
   
If he had to be on this run, he planned on buying more material to make himself warmer clothing and incorporate some cushioning to his pants and shirts to pad his ports. The cold and rain and moisture in the air made his limbs constantly ache. Adding some extra warmth and dryness would help him manage the pain better and make him more efficient.    
   
The small road they took wound around a stream and then led into open grassland and small, rolling hills. Ed had a clear view of what lie ahead. The towns rooftops looked so tiny and far away, like it belonged to the miniature homes and shops he had seen in some store fronts. Even though the road was plenty wide to have a car (maybe two) drive on it, none passed them as they moved around the stream and up a couple hills.    
   
Ed didn’t mind the quiet around them. Even Greed kept his thoughts to himself. He considered striking up a conversation to make it go by quicker but ideas of what to talk about escaped him. All he had right now were insults from getting his hair ruffled three times over. His head still ached a little, and trying to cobble together a half-assed topic seemed pointless. He’d just be trying too hard, and Greed would know it.    
   
Greed seemed to share the same thought because he gave Ed a wide birth, choosing to walk on the other side of the road. Ed shielded his eyes from the sun and pulled out his pocket watch to finally check the time instead of guessing. It was almost one in the afternoon. Ed stole a few glances Greed's way, only to notice the other seemed in as much deep thought as he was.    
   
Curious. He knew and understood that look well enough. Ed wondered what kind of demons had a hold of Greed. Given the type of family he had and the circumstances for leaving, Greed probably had a lot of them. Maybe it was a good thing he lost a good chunk of his memory. From what Ed had seen so far, Father never exposed any of the homunculi to the outside world unless he had full control over the situation... with the exception of Greed. Avarice aside, Ed sometimes wondered what he had gone through to make him leave both times.    
   
But he wouldn't ask Greed something so deeply personal. Greed wouldn't want to tell him anyway so Ed kept his thoughts to himself and plodded on. The town came closer into view. It was smaller than he thought it'd be. The way Greed went on about how great it was, the buildings and houses themselves were surprisingly simple. This wasn't a rich town by any means. Even with the afternoon sun high and shining its rays across the rooftops, it did little to make the town look significant.    
   
"Thought this place _had it all_?" His words came out before he realized he had said something, and the bite in his voice startled him a little. He pulled his arms in closer to his body and kept his eyes straight ahead. Guilt washed over him. Greed had been decent enough since they left camp and hadn't goaded him once, yet he was still so eager to snip and snap at the first available person.    
   
"Nah, that's the city I told ya about. Darius and Heinkel are goin' there." Greed spared Ed a short glance then kept going.    
   
Ed stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged. What did it matter anyway? There was food and goods here and that's all that mattered. He didn't _care_  if they were going to the city Greed liked or this tiny shit-splat town. Except he did. Ed wanted to see for himself what had Greed going out a few nights a week. He would never admit to that out loud, but the curiosity had settled in his thoughts.    
   
"Where to first?" Ed opened his bag and looked in even though he knew all the money was still there. Keeping himself occupied at all times helped him stay calm.    
   
"Damn, kid, you gonna sulk the entire day?" Greed shook his head and shot Ed a slightly judgy look. "We can start with the closest stores and work our way down," he added as if Ed didn't already know how to shop.    
   
"Are there any markets here?" That hadn't fooled Greed, but Ed pushed on like his antsy behavior and rechecking his bag hadn't happened.  "Not that I care if we go from one store to the next. It's doable but'll take longer than a market will."    
   
"Nah, there're no markets. Only been here once but it's only store fronts and homes and taverns." Greed clasped Ed by the shoulder. "You wanted something to do other than staying out in the woods. I don't want to hear any complaints that it's too much work."    
   
Ed grunted. "I won't complain. Whatever gets our list done faster and us out of here is fine with me."    
   
They started down the short hill, using the thin path to keep themselves from stumbling on the lumpy grass. The ground here was wet enough to make larger patches of mud. The path seemed to be the only part that had been kept clean. Without Winry nearby, Ed couldn't take the risk in damaging his automail. Something minor he could repair himself, but a larger injury would render him useless and compromise the group.    
   
There weren't a lot of people milling about on the streets. Ed figured that by mid-morning, most people were off to work or started on their day already. The few stranglers who were out bustled quickly from one shop to the next. No one paid them any mind even though they clearly didn't come from here and smelled like they hadn't had a proper shower in a long time. Maybe the people in this town were used to strangers stopping by, but Ed couldn't shake his paranoia that would recognize them. It felt too calm, too easy.    
   
Greed grabbed him by the arm and moved him along. Ed stumbled a little but twisted his body so he didn't fall. He pulled his arm away from Greed and huffed. Why did Greed have to help him stay on task? Why couldn't Greed let him wallow in his own misery for awhile?   
   
The first shop they came upon was a clothing store. Ed tugged on Greed's arm to steer them in that direction. "My clothes are getting ratty and thin, and I need something warmer. Gonna go inside and see what I can find here."    
   
A bell above the door rang sharply when Ed opened and closed it, startling him. Ed jumped when Greed's hand rested on his shoulder, and his heart pounded in his chest. He should've expected something like that since a lot of stores had bells to alert the clerk they had a customer, or at least braced himself for that possible outcome, but he had gotten so twisted up in his own thoughts that he had let his guard down.    
   
Greed’s hand moved from his shoulder down his back before breaking contact. Whether or not that had been a gesture of comfort, Ed couldn’t tell, but by the time his attention focused on the clerk and everyone else, breathing was a little easier.    
   
"Take it easy, alright?" Greed raised an eyebrow as he looked Ed over again before shooting him a questioning glance. "You're gonna draw attention to yourself doin' that."    
   
Ed wished he could take it easy, but his senses were too overloaded. “It's not like I wanted to do it, and ’m not actin’ any different than I’ve been all day,” he said as he pushed away from Greed.    
   
“Hn,” Greed reached out and flicked Ed’s shoulder. “Don’t make shit-ass excuses. Won’t work with me, kid.”    
   
Greed had gotten so good about calling him by his name instead of 'kid' that Ed's only response was a scowl. He roughly yanked his shoulder away. "We finished here? Cause I still gotta finish up my list, and we’re wastin’ time.”    
   
 "Then what're you waiting for. Greed pushed Ed only hard enough to move him a few inches. "Go get me my shit."    
   
Ed almost made a snide comment about how they weren't shopping exclusively for Greed only this time he managed to close his mouth before it got the better of him. Greed had been originally trying to be nice. Now he felt a little bad about being mouthy. "Yeah, fine, sorry I popped off on ya. Didn't mean to be a dick about it." He'd make sure to grab some material to make Darius and Heinkel something because those two deserved a goddamn medal for putting up with him and Greed.   
   
He didn't wait around for Greed's response. Instead, Ed quietly slipped down an aisle and began to look over everything they had. Most of the material out looked too thin, but he could always make adjustments using alchemy. Looking down a little further, he spotted some wool.    
   
That would keep him warm, though Ed hated the itchy feeling it left on his skin and all of the colors were too bright. Greed would have a fit if Ed came back with bright blue and yellow material. He could always adjust the color and line the inside but decided to pass it up and kept looking.    
   
Behind the wool, he found some cotton material he could work with. It would feel a lot more comfortable against his skin with no adjustments needed. While it wasn't thick, cotton threads blended well together that all he needed was to make a simple array. The material had some of the right colors too.    
   
Dark grays, black, and white were the colors Greed picked so they'd blend in more. Ed thought if they really wanted to blend in, they'd wear the blandest, brownest outfit they could find. No would remember them. They would look like a poor, simple group of people if they dressed like that. Ed never complained, though. He preferred black to brown anyway.    
   
Ed also couldn't deny that a part of him wanted to stand out, to be noticed, make some kind of impact in the world. He knew logically, they needed to be patient and bide their time, but his body itched for a chance to take down Father and the other homunculi. It was foolish and a craving he refused to give into. Storming around now and picking fights could get them all killed.    
   
He forced those feelings away and grabbed the material he needed to make himself some new clothes. The cloth felt soft and thick against the palm of his hand. Perfect. He could make something out of it that would help keep him warm, and that was all he needed. He even made sure to get enough for everyone else so they'd all be set for the winter.    
   
The material bundled easily enough in his arms, leaving him enough room to peek over the top. As Ed went to pay for it, he favored his left leg. From the upcoming cold and stomping around, it still hurt. He had been able to ignore it their trip here along with not needing to carry anything. It was going to be killing him tonight after their trip back.    
   
Ed glanced at the clerk as he piled the material onto the counter and waited. She gave him a funny look, but he ignored it. Greed came over empty handed, which didn't surprise him. He had never seen Greed pick out material before. Only clothes that were already made. His hand felt along his coat pocket to make sure his wallet hadn't fallen out. Ed exhaled a sigh of relief when the familiar square leather poked back at his fingers.    
   
The clerk looked them over suspiciously. Their first store and already he was getting eyed up like a thief. Ed resisted the urge to lash out or make some smart-assed comment. He simply wanted to get what he needed, pay, and leave.    
   
“How much you want for it?” Ed laid down the material and ignored the judging. His normal reaction of flashing his watch and shutting people up wasn't an option.    
   
Greed stepped in closer as Ed pulled his wallet out. He got it. They were dressed in almost all black from head to toe with only white shirts mostly hidden beneath their coats. Once the clerk got a good look at them, really saw him and Greed, her suspicious stares had started. They were a motley pair. Ed got it.    
   
Darius and Heinkel were much better at this. Ed knew what this lady was thinking. Same thing as the last time he went into a store. That he was some punk kid who wouldn't have the cash to pay. Once he proved he could, doubts rose about where he had gotten the money.    
   
The clerk hesitantly gave him a price and Ed paid for the material. He pulled Greed by the arm towards the door, and they left the shop without another word. Relief washed over Ed once they left the store. He spared Greed a brief glance. "This town sucks. That lady in there seemed a little too eager to find something wrong with us. Surprised she didn't refuse my money."    
   
“Should've taken you to the city instead of here.” Greed pulled out of Ed's grasp, turned them around, then grabbed him by the arm and moved him from the walkway. They stopped near an alleyway. "Don't go bitchin' too much. She didn't do anything so drop it. Probably gets like that with anyone new in town."    
   
Greed had a lot of nerve telling him that with the way he was dragging them off. "I'm not being too loud." Ed pulled himself out from Greed's grip. "And don't go manhandling me like that. You'll end making a scene for fuck's sake."    
   
“Hey, ya listening to me?” Greed lightly smacked Ed across the base of his skull then grabbed him by the shirt. It was surprisingly gentle for someone who wasn't human. “Whatever still has a hold of you, shake it off before trouble finds you. You acting like you're up to no good, and you're  _mine_ , Ed. You belong to _me_  now. I'll damn well manhandle you if I need to.”    
   
“I hear ya…” Ed’s expression turned even crabbier. He didn't belong to anyone. He had agreed to work for Greed, though so he kept his mouth shut. It took all his strength, but Ed managed to pull away from Greed's grip. Damn bastard had a tight one on it this time. "We should get the food so we can go back."    
   
"You worry too much. S'like havin' a damn grandma around." Greed sneered at him, though it only seemed half-hearted. "Where the fuck did your sense of adventure go? It die or somethin'?"    
   
"How the hell would you know what havin' a grandma around is like?" he muttered. As soon as the words left, Ed felt like a jerk. He stood there quietly, keeping his eyes on Greed and waited.    
   
Greed's eyes widen a fraction before he burst out into laughter and gave one hard pat to Ed's shoulder. "Wow, someone really did piss all over you this morning. Next time I'll have'ta make sure it's me."    
   
"This place looks good for food," he muttered as his face burned red. He had gotten what Greed had meant, but the wording was about as fucked up as it got. No doubt that was intentional on the bastard's part.    
   
He brushed past Greed and slipped inside the food store, grabbing a small basket on his way in. Ed refused to wait around for another messed up comment. His brain already had trouble letting the last one go. No matter how hard he tried the image wouldn't go away. Ed 'tch'ed' under his breath and immediately made a beeline towards the produce.    
   
Working out their next meal would distract him. He picked up a few fruits to test their texture. Meat they could easily get in the woods, but fruit and vegetables were harder to find out in the wild. Ed didn't know enough about plants to risk poisoning three-fourths of their group. Storing them would be his only problem. He needed to get a few that weren't quite ripe yet along with some they could eat now.    
   
The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Ed could hear Greed (or rather feel) Greed looming behind him. His shoulders tensed, then Greed spoke.    
   
"If ya squeeze it too hard, it'll burst and make a mess all over the place." Greed snickered. "Reminds me of you."    
   
"Your jokes suck, Greed." Ed barely spared a look over his shoulder before focusing on the fruit. He heard an irritated sigh behind him and then footsteps moving away from him. When he turned around, he saw a flash of dark hair rounding another aisle.    
   
The succulent-looking food made Ed's stomach grumble. It tempted him to scrap his budget and buy whatever caught his attention. Instead, he pushed that thought away, and forced himself to focus on the task at hand.    
   
There were some oranges there. Ed hadn't expected any of the stores to have those this time of year. They looked ripe and not spoiled. They all needed more citrus in their diet. He only grabbed eight. With them being outside, the fruit would only last a couple days, and he wasn't sure how the oranges would hold up in the cold weather.    
   
He'd look for more the next place they settled into. He also took a bushel of lemons with him to make homemade lemonade for all of them tonight. Ed grinned at the thought. It'd be a nice treat, and he already had the perfect array for it in his head to make it happen with relative ease.    
   
Ed moved along and found an aisle with where the seasonings and spices were. He liked grabbing as much of this as possible. The containers and pouches were always small enough to carry around and spices never went bad. Anything that helped make their meals taste different won out the rare times he picked up supplies. There were only so many ways to cook rabbit and squirrel when being out in the woods before it all started to taste the same.     
   
Once he collected what he needed, he moved onto the next items on the list. Ed stopped in front of the powdered milk and made a face. The idea of using the milk powder caused his nose to wrinkle. He had wanted stew for a while now, and stew needed milk. Regular milk wouldn't last long in the woods, and with the sun out today, by the time they got back to camp, it might be half-spoiled.    
   
Hesitantly, Ed picked up the smallest box they had and put it in the basket. He glanced around the aisle, satisfied he had gotten all he needed from it, and went off to find Greed. A quick check up on his boss was always a good idea.    
   
Ed wandered over to the meat area first since Greed liked meat the best, and he  _knew_  he'd find the tall bastard coveting it. He frowned. Ed found Greed alright, standing there, zoned out. Ed could almost see him salivating over it. The only problem was they didn't have the extra money for it.    
   
"Hey, shouldn't we be workin' on the rest of our list?" No answer. Greed was still staring at the meat, and then Ed realized that his basket was empty. Ed shook his head and stalked over. "Staring at it won't make it get in your basket any sooner. Besides, what do we need meat for? There's plenty of that in the forest."    
   
"Tch, don't get all bent over it." Greed stepped closer to it and gawked some more. "Aren't you getting tired of eating squirrel and rabbit?"    
   
"Well, yeah... I am getting tired of it, but it's best if we save the money I have for shit we actually need." Ed had already explained to Greed several times this past week why he wouldn't withdrawal more money. He didn't even know if his account had been frozen or not. While they still had plenty to burn, it wouldn't take long to blow through it if they weren't careful.    
   
"Then why all the bitchin'? Spending a small amount of money on this won't hurt anything." Greed picked up a package of wrapped up beef to put it in his basket. "You got the cash on ya. What's the point of havin' all that loot if you're gonna hoard it?"    
   
Ed sighed. He really didn't want to argue, but beef cost a lot of money right now. Maybe Greed thought it wasn't expensive, but he already snuck a look at the price. He hadn't budgeted for that. "I can't stop and withdrawal any more money, Greed. I need to make it last long enough to get us through the winter." His voice lowered down to a whisper. "Unless we swipe it, which is a shitty idea since the clerk has been closely watching us, we're gonna have'ta do it some other time, alright?"    
   
Greed hated being denied something he wanted. Ed knew that well enough. If he was looking to make Greed crabbier and push buttons, this was the way to do it so maybe he could extend a compromise of sorts. Something they both could benefit from. If he could teach his boss a little patience for a greater reward then Ed was going to give it a go.    
   
His brain made a huh sound inside his head when he realized he was seriously considering teaching Greed the value of equivalent exchange. Ed had no idea if it’d work, but it could make Greed more compliant if he knew he’d get something in exchange, something _better_.    
   
A loud thwacking sound pulled Ed out of his thoughts. He looked down at the tossed meat and then at Greed. That had been too easy. No dirty look or nasty comment. Ed swallowed loudly, looked around them, and then waited.    
   
Nothing happened. Greed grunted and then shrugged him off, stalking around the corner. Ed narrowed his eyes but didn't go after him. Weird. Had Greed actually listened to his advice without an argument? It unexpectedly unsettled Ed. He stood there, mulling over it for a few minutes before shaking his head. He cautiously looked around, then back down at the meat again. His hand swiped across then into his inside coat pocket.    
   
Ed wouldn’t see Greed again until he went to pay for the food. Not even when he slinked down the candy aisle, eyes darting to his left and right, looking for the greedy bastard. He finished up getting everything on his list, making sure to quickly dodge in and out of the small aisles to avoid other people before setting his goods on the counter. It was then that Greed loudly appeared next to him, seemingly from nowhere.    
   
"This is my half. Gonna step outside while you take care of it." The words were no sooner out of Greed's mouth before he slipped out of the store, leaving Ed to carry their bags.    
   
Frowning, Ed looked back at the counter. Nothing extra or suspicious was slipped in. The clerk was friendly enough as she added up his purchase and bagged his food.    
   
He grabbed the three bags and went outside. Greed was nowhere to be found. "Fucking hell," he cursed under his breath. Just what he needed. For them to get separated and him get stuck hauling all this back to camp.    
   
Ed glowered for the umpteenth time today and headed down the street. When Greed stepped out of the shadows with an unholy grin on his face, Ed almost dropped the bags, surprised by the suddenness of it. "Holy fuck, what in—"    
   
"Look what I got," Greed interrupted, grin widening and seemingly undeterred by Ed's odd behavior. He pulled back the opening in his coat to show up the wrapped-up meat he had staked out earlier.    
   
 "When the hell did you manage to steal that?" He kept his voice low enough so that no one else would hear.  "I hope to fuck no one saw you."    
   
"Relax, no one saw me." Greed shot Ed an annoyed and slightly disappointed look. "You really think I'm that unskilled I'd let myself get caught?"    
   
Ed glanced around them before slipping around Greed. He started walking a nice steady pace. Speeding up might look suspicious. Same with moving too slow. "I don't know? You’re not very quiet. Can usually hear you coming a mile away.” He glanced at Greed. “How much shit have you stolen?"    
   
Greed growled at Ed. "Don't even act like you think I don't know what the fuck I’m doing. It's bullshit and you know it. If I was going to get caught, it would've happened by now."    
   
"Let's just get the hell out of here," he hissed. "We got enough food to take with us already and the list is done." They were only in charge of the food this time, and he had already put forth the effort to get them extras. He had done more than his part. Ed turned around and took a step but didn't hear Greed behind him.    
   
Instead of going back the way they came, Greed was moving in the opposite direction. Ed followed, realizing they were heading towards another part of the town. This area looked poor and probably didn’t have much to offer. What could Greed possibly want here? Ed scowled as he looked for a way through so they could double back around and leave.    
   
“We haven’t been down this section yet. There’re a few taverns that carry good whiskey.” He spared Ed a brief glance. “Been here once before. City’s still better, and before you start bitchin’ and moanin’ about funds, I’ll grab what I need myself.” Then Greed shrugged. “Probably be better you go back to camp. Might get in my way.”    
   
Ed stopped and glared at Greed. "Fuck that. I'm not goin' anywhere." He kept his tone of voice level even though he was seething inside. If left unchecked, who knew what garbage Greed would get into or how long it’d take him to get out of it and turn up again. They couldn’t risk _anyone_ finding out who they were or who was after them, and he _was not_ carrying everything back himself. “I’m good with taggin’ along. Don’t wanna take the chance of us gettin’ separated.”    
   
"Whatever you say. Just don't slow me down or give me any self-righteous bullshit because you’re not gonna like what I’m about to do, and you're not gonna like this part of town." Greed barely spared Ed a glance.  "Fair warning, I don't plan on payin' for anything down here either."    
   
“Fine by me. Doesn’t look like there’s anyone too upstanding here anyway. Doubt they're file a police report on you if you take anything from them.” It was all probably stolen goods anyway. Ed noticed they passed the poorer part and headed into the seedier area. Every town had a bad street to it, and it looked like they landed in the middle of it here. "Just don't seriously hurt anyone if they give you shit."    
   
"Don't tell me what to do, kid." Greed reached out and gave Ed's hair a hard ruffle. "Just gonna get the booze and we'll head back."    
   
He made a face over the hair ruffle but kept his mouth shut. This was a bad idea, but Ed kept walking despite knowing that. "How long do ya think it'll take for you to grab what you need?" Ed finally asked. His attention was momentarily taken away from Greed when he noticed a small group of kids nearby them. With his attention split between them and the argument, he wasn't able to stop one of the kids from running by, taking a swipe of Greed's stolen meat.    
   
It took a few seconds for what happened to settle in. A loud growl from Greed tore Ed out of his thoughts. Fuck. This wasn't good, but Greed was already gone before Ed could stop him. And so were the kids. They were too young and too scrawny to fend off a homunculus.    
   
He tucked his bags close to his body and bolted after Greed. Those kids didn’t realize who they stole from. While Ed didn’t think Greed would seriously hurt them, he also didn’t want them to get roughed up (and he couldn’t be sure about the former). Not when they were simply hungry and trying to get by. They probably hadn't had a decent meal in a long time.    
   
This part of the street was relatively empty, giving him a clear view of where the kids were going. Ed took in everything he could as he tried to catch up to Greed, noting that the few people who were around didn't seem surprised they were chasing after the kids. This was common occurrence. Shame none of them cared enough to help the kids so they didn’t have to resort to stealing. Ed clench his fists and felt anger bubble up inside of him as he took off down the street.    
   
After a couple sharp turns, Ed finally managed to catch up with Greed. He clapped his hands and pulled up a wall, small enough to not put too much attention on them but large enough to slow them both down. Greed hit the wall with his calves and stumbled. Ed ran faster until he caught up. His heart pounded in his chest when he realized Greed had the kids cornered.    
   
"Greed, you can't take it from them." Ed panted as he put his hand on Greed's shoulder and shook his head. "They're kids." Young kids, probably around seven, eight-years-old. "Look at them. They’re too little to fight. They need it more than we do." He nodded his head towards the small group. "It's wrong to beat on them, and you _know it_."    
   
"No one gets away with stealing from me." Greed looked at Ed sharply and yanked his shoulder away. "Why should this be any different? If they’re smart enough to take it, then they’re big enough to see it for what it is and know the risks.”    
   
"I don't think I can tell ya much else other than they're kids... they don't have anyone takin' care of them. Don't be like your family. You're better than that." Ed knew what it was like being young and being on his own. And they had been luckier than most kids who didn't have much. Granny Pinako always made sure they had food and ate and that they had clean clothes, but they had still lived by themselves in that big empty house. "They remind me of when I was little, after my mom died. Al and I were orphans. Their clothes are ratty, and they're hungry. We both know they're living out on the streets. I feel bad for them.... please," his voice lowered, "Don't do this." Maybe if he asked nicely it would appeal to Greed enough to stop this. "We can get some more later."    
   
He heard a low growl coming from Greed and readied his hands. "C'mon, let's get back to camp with what we got. It'll be enough to get us through a few days, and by then there'll be a new town we can get supplies from." Ed reached out again, but this time grabbed Greed's upper arm and used a more forceful tone. "What good is it taking stuff from someone who has nothing to begin with?"    
   
But Greed only pushed him away and made his move. “Fuck your bleeding heart. Not stealin’ from them. It was mine to begin with.”    
   
"It was only yours because  _you_  stole it." Ed clapped his hands together again and this time some of the sidewalk wrapped around Greed’s ankle. He shook his head. “Leave them be.” His voice had an ‘or else’ tacked onto that. "I won't let you hurt them. Rather do this the easy way but I'll do it the hard way if you're not gonna listen to what I'm sayin'."   
   
The last thing Ed had planned on doing was showing that if he wanted, he could really be the one in charge. That would upend their little group. Greed would leave, and he'd lose access to Ling and a powerful ally. He had to be careful about this, but he also couldn't let Greed give these kids a beat-down. His breath caught in his throat as he waited to see how Greed would react.    
   
Greed balked but didn't push Ed away. He softly exhaled a sigh of relief. That was something. A small something but he'd take it. Ed clapped his hands again, grabbed Greed, and then pulled them backwards and away from the kids, stumbling a little as the sidewalk moved with them. The children scattered like he knew they would, taking Greed's meat with them. Ed turned his attention away from them. He doubted they'd follow them or tell anyone considering they were thieves themselves.    
   
"Let's get the fuck outta here. We got enough shit to last us a few days at least. We'll find another town and place to settle into." Ed released Greed's ankle and righted himself. He let go of Greed's arm, letting out a small, frustrated sound as he did so. "It's gonna be late when we get back as is. I still gotta make dinner for everyone."    
   
"Don't tell me what to do." Greed's voice came out more like a growl than anything else. He brushed passed Ed hard enough to move his body a couple inches and stalked on off but didn't make a move to go after what had been stolen from him.    
   
Ed almost thought Greed was going to take a swing at him and let out a sigh of relief when nothing more happened. He jogged to keep up with Greed but lost sight of him. He left the alley and was back out on the street, but his boss had all but disappeared on him. Ed kept his head down but eyes alert. Ed swiftly moved down another alleyway when he caught sight of Greed's ponytail moving in that direction.    
   
It was another dead end, with a couple of backdoors leading into the surrounding buildings. Greed was currently standing in front of one of them. Ed opened his mouth to call out to him then stopped when he glanced behind him. Something wasn't right. There seemed to be more people around than before. The vibe he got from this area of town made goosebumps break out across his skin, and the back of his neck feel tingly. He moved to turn around to check behind him, but before he could, Ed felt someone grab his shoulder and turn him around.    
   
A tall, burly man, with greasy hair and dirty fingers, leered down at him. "Gimmie your money... all of it," he said shaking Ed.    
   
“Son of a—” Ed twisted and tried to wiggle his way out of the larger man’s grasp only to have the hold on his shoulders tighten. His legs flailed. “Let me go, asshole!”    
   
The man only laughed and pulled his hand back. Ed knew what that meant and moved to clap his hands. The man followed quickly, putting his weight on Ed and keeping him from using his alchemy. They had been watching him deal with Greed. The only way out would be for him to either fight his way through or try to dodge any attacks. The safer way, the way to make sure none of their goods were ruined was the latter.    
   
When the man's large fist pull back, Ed tried to duck to avoid the punch, but the guy still managed to clip his jaw and lower lip, splitting it a little. Blood trickled down from his mouth to his chin, and Ed twisted his body enough to give himself a little room to work with.    
   
Ed kicked the guy's shin as hard as he could with his left foot, relieved that it gave him an opening. He went to return the punch when the man was lifted up into the air and tossed. He dropped to the ground and spat out a little bit of blood from his cut lip.    
   
"How the fuck do you manage to find every scuffle to get into?" Greed gave the man a kick in the ass when he tried to get up and then held him down with a well-placed foot. "I can't leave you alone for one second."    
   
Greed bent down, and showed the man a clawed finger. "Piss off before I decide ta peal your worthless skin off your body." He nodded to Ed. "That little shit belongs _to me_ , got it?" Greed let the man up and gave him a swift kick to the ass before raising an eyebrow and giving Ed a questioning look.    
   
"What? He tried to steal my money. Not my fault." He shrugged. "Told ya this town sucks." If anyone had told him he'd have to deal with this shit today, Ed would've stayed in his tent. First those kids and then this guy. "I'm going back to camp. If you wanna stay here and piss around then fine. I'm done."    
   
"Not a chance." Greed took a step towards Ed and grabbed him by his jacket. "We came in together and we're gonna leave together. Last thing I need is for someone else'ta grab ya."    
   
Ed scoffed. The only reason why that guy had taken him off guard was because he had been arguing with Greed. "Yeah 'cause I was tryin' to talk some sense into you before you tore into them kids."    
   
"You weren't paying attention to your surroundings," Greed countered. "Next time you might not be lucky enough to have me around to bail your sorry ass out."    
   
The words were no sooner out of Greed's mouth when he choked and blood trickled down his lips. Ed's eyes widened. It took him a couple seconds to figure out what was going on. There was another man standing behind Greed with a grin plastered across his face and a knife he had pushed through Greed's side.    
   
A crackling sound drew Ed's attention to the wound. Already it started heal up around the knife. Greed's shield came up and snapped it while the bit stuck in him was forced out. His hand shot out and grabbed the man's. He heard the familiar sound of bones cracking and a scream of pain as Greed squeezed the guy's hand.    
   
Seeing Greed with a knife in him, made Ed's blood boil. He knew most humans were no match for a homunculus, but the idea of standing idly on the sidelines felt wrong. Despite all of Greed's faults, they _were_  a team.  He  _had_  to do something. Ed moved and rolled his body across the ground, sticking his leg out to half trip the man.  For the first time all week the fire was back in his eyes. He clapped his hands together and brought them down on the ground, ejecting the men from Greed.    
   
"That asshole's with me." As much as Greed annoyed him and probably deserved a lesson or two taught in life, these bastards weren't going to be the ones to do it. That was _his_  job. "If you're wanna fuck with him, you're gonna have'ta get through me first."    
   
Now that Greed had freed him from their grasp, Ed had no intentions of letting any of these jerks grab a hold of either of them again.  He could take down every single one of these guys without breaking a sweat. They had no idea who they were dealing with. To prove his point, he clapped his hands again and turned his automail arm into a blade. Ed motioned them to come at him. "You bastards want a piece of me then come get it."    
   
One of the men moved towards him. Ed dropped down to a crouch and pressed his hands to the ground, making a fist come out of it and hit the guy square in the jaw.    
   
The rest of the group dispersed in opposite directions, leaving the fallen man to his fate. Ed waited to see what would happen next as the guy carefully got up then took off away from them. He let out a quiet breath. "What a jerk. He didn't even try to fight once he realized we were stronger." A part of him was disappointed that it was over. Nothing would've satisfied him more than to teach those assholes a lesson. "You alright?" Ed turned to Greed, careful though not to take his eyes off what was around them.    
   
"You're not s'posed to outshine your boss, you little piss-ant." Greed shot Ed a sour look but it held no real anger behind. His pride had been wounded at most. "Minions shouldn't be more badass than the person they're minioning for."    
   
"That's not even a word and never said I was your minion. There's a difference between working for someone and letting them own you." Ed gathered the bags up off the ground. "'Sides, minions don't aren't usually all that smart. You really wanna trade in a State Alchemist for that?"    
   
"Least they'd do what I want 'em to do without shitty morals gettin' in the way." Greed's words lacked the harshness to them that Ed had expected from it.    
   
He grinned. "Well, looks like you're stuck with a smart one who won't let you get into too much trouble because his shitty morals won't allow it."    
   
"You're a pain in my ass." Greed glanced at the bags on the ground. "And our bags are ruined."    
   
"Nah, I can fix them. Cover my back, though. Dunno if those guys'll come back with more people." Ed crouched down and carefully took out their goods, setting them aside. Some of the fruit looked bruised, but if they ate it up tonight, it wouldn't go to waste. A simple clap and touch to the ground mended the bags.    
   
"The city is a lot better." Greed made tch'ing sound nudged a couple of the fallen oranges with his foot. "Not that you'll get to see it since we'll be leaving, but I sure as fuck will miss it," he added in a smug tone.    
   
His hands shook a little as he picked up the food and cloth that had fallen out and put them back into the bags. "Don't even go there. I don't need to hear about how great in bed the men and women there are." Ed wasn't sure why it embarrassed him so much, only that it did, and he'd be damned if he'd let Greed catch on to it.    
   
"Jealous?" Greed said with a laugh before patting Ed on the shoulder. “If you want, I’m sure I can hook you up with someone in your age gr—”    
   
"Hardly. In fact, I'd rather not hear about how many people you've slept with." He forced his sour look into disgusted one, even though Ed didn't feel quite grossed out by it, but boy he wanted to be. The last thing he wanted to think about was either Greed or Ling in bed with other people. "Got better things to stew over than who you're gonna fuck."    
   
"You only say that because you've never done it." Greed's laugh turned into a smirk. "Am I right?"    
   
He gave Greed a sharp look. What the hell did that have to do with anything? "Yeah, so what if I haven't? Got more important things to focus on like taking out your piece-of-shit old man and getting my brother's body back. There's no shame in not puttin' my dick in anything that breathes." Besides, he was saving himself for Winry... once he asked her to marry him. "I don't need to fuck a bunch of people to know I'm good."    
   
"I don't fuck anything with a pulse. I got standards." Greed's grin fell and his expression turned into a contemplative one. "I think you got it backwards but suit yourself."    
   
"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Ed braced himself for another argument. He'd be damned if he let Greed tell him sex was more important than getting Al's body back or saving the country.    
   
"It means keeping all that energy pent up'll only make you lose focus. It's good to get out, be around other people, and relax now and then." Greed poked Ed's chest. "You think I wouldn't hold back if I thought it'd get me closer to fucking over the old bastard?" He pushed his finger in a little deeper. "I'd give up all the ass and pussy for a chance to do that right now if I thought it'd work, but sittin' here, stewin' over how hard shit it'll only make me tense and  _that_  makes shit harder. It's a good way to unwind, and you'd know that if you'd stop refusing to let yourself enjoy life a little."    
   
Ed's face warmed a little at the crude words Greed used. An odd silence settled over them as they stood there. He wasn't sure what to say to that because he had assumed Greed was simply having sex, because well, the man was a greedy bastard and wanted everything. Including sex. And apparently in large enough amounts that it made the top list of what being incarnate of greed meant. He had heard that spiel plenty of times to know, money, power, women (and a little to his surprise, men too), and sex were the preferred favorites.    
   
The idea of using sex as a way to unload had never occurred to him before and gave Greed a little more depth. It made sense that it'd work for some people, but he was good on his end for it. How could he even look Al or Winry in the eyes again if he was out here, having a good time while they were...    
   
Ed stopped himself. He wouldn't even go down that train of thought. He had no idea what they were doing, and he wouldn't allow himself to assume the worst. "Whatever works for you, Greed. Doesn't mean I gotta do the same thing, and it doesn't mean it's because I've never 'done it' before. That's got nothing to do with it."    
   
"Look, all 'm sayin' is that you're hard on yourself, and it wouldn't hurt to cut loose now and then. Experience life a little. Go out and do normal shit for once. No one'll hold it against you if you did." Greed flattened his hand against Ed's chest before pulling it away. "They don't see you the way you see yourself. You're not a fuckup, Ed."    
   
He swatted away Greed's hand and swallowed the small lump that had formed in his throat. “You don't have to,” Ed glanced at the ground and then back up at Greed. “You don't have ta try an' make me feel better every time I feel down. It's not your job to always make sure I'm okay.” Fuck if it didn't make him feel even more useless.    
   
“I look out for anyone who works for me. Tough break for you I guess.” Greed grabbed one of the bags from Ed. “Can't have you all fucked up in the head either. Bad for business.”    
   
“Right,” Ed shot Greed an annoyed look even though he didn't mean it. He knew how to read in between the lines, and while Greed didn't lie, feelings weren't his bag either. They were heading into emotional territory and neither of them seemed particularly inclined to go there. “The same goes for you too, though. If you're gonna look out for me then I'm gonna give you the same courtesy 'cause that's what equivalent exchange is all about.” Ed took the other two bags. “Guess it's gonna be a tough break for you too, huh?”    
   
“Whatever. Just don't go poppin' off at the mouth too much or else I will kick your ass.” Greed flashed him a grin.    
   
Sparring actually sounded good to him. Maybe they both needed to blow off steam now and then to get rid of the shittiness inside. While going out and getting sex from other people didn't appeal to him, sparring might be the outlet Ed needed. “Anytime you wanna go rounds, I'm down with that. Just don't complain when I don't go easy on you."    
   
“C’mon,” Greed took Ed by the shoulders and faced him in the direction out of the shady part of town. “It’s time to head back.”    
   
“Sure... but what about your booze?” That was the whole reason they came down this way. It'd be a shame for them to leave empty handed after they had gone through all of that. Ed glumly started following Greed. Darius and Heinkel were probably back at the camp by now with their portion of supplies. They really did need to get going.    
   
"Next place we go, gonna grab some. Too risky to bother with it now." Greed grabbed Ed's right arm and tugged him along until they got back to the center of the town.    
   
He patted his coat pocket and felt the extra little lump there. They had their supplies and nothing had been ruined. The run could've been worse. He had some bumps and bruises but that was nothing in comparison to some of the fights he had been in over years. Nothing in comparison to having his arm and leg ripped from his body. Still, Ed didn't relax until they made back to the center where all the shops were and left the shit-part of this town behind them.    
   
As they left the town behind them, Ed mulled over their conversation and what Greed said. It was true that he didn't allow himself to enjoy many extras, not unless Al was around to enjoy them too, but the guilt of what happened to his baby brother gnawed at him. Until he managed to fix his mistake he didn't dare allow himself to slip up. Not after he had seen the shape Al's body was in when he had passed through the gate.    
   
That image haunted him. Each night before bed, he always saw Al's frail body, sitting there, waiting for him to do something.  Greed didn't know that. Ed never said anything to anyone other than Al, and he planned to keep it that way so he let the subject drop for now as they left the town behind them, and let his thoughts settle on what he'd do now. Greed made a good point. Ed just needed to find something small and simple to do help ease his thoughts while they waited out the winter.    
   
Maybe if they  _did_  find an abandoned home to settle down into for the winter he could work some of it out. The constant moving around without actually doing anything made him restless, feel weak, unprepared, and lacking. When he had fought their attackers, those feelings had gone away. For the first time in a while, Ed had felt useful, needed. For a few seconds he hadn't thought about Father or the other homunculi or the military. Him and Greed even had a little fun afterwards.    
   
Ed blew a few stray hairs away from his eyes and kicked a stone along the worn path. Idleness never had suited him. It didn't suit Greed either. "Hey, Greed... maybe we should spar." He glanced to his right. "Give us both somethin' to do to pass the time."   
   
"This your way of sayin' you wanna kick my ass?" Greed chuckled and nudged Ed in the side.    
   
He smiled a little and just shrugged. Ed then slipped ahead of Greed and kept walking.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These two really need to learn personal boundaries and stop dragging each other around >.>
> 
> Also, not all the stories in this series will be so morose and serious. Like the anime and manga, I have every intention of adding as much humor to this as I can w/o taking away from the story ^^
> 
> As an aside: My apologies of the delay on this... and all my works tbh. I work full time and the graveyard shift and have been dealing with some moderate health issues that make me pretty damn miserable sometimes. I will be updating anything as I get inspiration and time. Sorry I cannot give a clearer deadline. 
> 
> I truly appreciate everyone's patience and support <3 It makes it worth putting in the time and effort to do what I can with my fan fics.


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